'New Gold Rush' for Riches Takes Aim at Deep Ocean

[Judi Lynn]

Published on Wednesday, July 23, 2014

by Common Dreams

'New Gold Rush' for Riches Takes Aim at Deep Ocean

Intergovernmental body gives OK to seven new exploratory permits to hunt for deep sea minerals.

by Andrea Germanos, staff writer



A new gold rush for mineral riches lurking in the deep sea continues, as a United Nations organization has given the green light to seven new applications for exploratory seabed mining work permits.

The International Seabed Authority, a Kingston, Jamaica-based body established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and which controls activities relating to the seabed’s mineral resources, made the announcement of the new permits Monday.

Firms from the UK, the Cook Islands and Singapore will be exploring for manganese, the government of India and a state German institute have applied to explore for polymetallic sulphides, while Brazilian and Russian entities are on the hunt for cobalt.

BBC News reports:

This means that the total area of seabed now licensed in this new gold rush has reached an immense 1.2 million square kilometers under 26 different permits for minerals prospecting.

Operations for the mining are set to begin by 2016, but the prospect of the resource grab in the little-explored deep sea has sparked ecological warnings.

More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/07/23/new-gold-rush-riches-takes-aim-deep-ocean

[GliderGuider]

1. Might as well mine them, there aren't many fish left in them. nt

[littlemissmartypants]

2. They are going to hit a pocket

Hopefully with localized effects, of the most noxious dangerous mixture of fracking waste and mystery petroleum products and blow up the planet bit by bit...

If we don't get off our sofas and put a stop to this nonsense.

Murder me by inches? I think not!

Love, Peace and Shelter. Littlemissmartypants

[Nihil]

3. Shit.

The sooner humans are wiped out the better for the rest of the planet.

Homo perniciosa